After hearing a number of demos Atlantis were signed to Field Records to release the debut album ʻCarpe Omniumʼ in 2007 receiving great reviews. To support this release a live band was formed and their first show was at the Dutch ZXZW Festival. In 2009 a limited vinyl edition of ʻCarpe Omnium & San Diabloʼ was released on VOD-Records from Germany. This was released as a double gatefold LP of ʻCarpe Omniumʼ accompanied by the new 4 song EP ʻSan Diabloʼ.

2010 was completely focused on the writing and recording of the new album ʻʼMistress Of Ghostsʼʼ mixed by Wouter Nagtegaal and mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna, Switchblade, Ef…) which will see its release in April 2011.

And now there is the new La Petite Mort EP! Written in 2011-2012 mixed by Gilson and mastered by husc.sound. It has a collaboration with Johannes Persson of the band Cult Of Luna on the song ʻʻEstherʼʼ. To support the La Petite Mort EPʼ Atlantis shall go on a European tour which will see them play Belgian Dunk!Festiaval and the infamous Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands.

I must confess the first time I picked up Atlantis was a random event. I was actually looking for a band called San Diablo and somehow I ended up downloading their EP instead because it bore the same name. And boy was I glad I did so.

Atlantis plays a very interesting mix of well… almost everything…there’s post-metal in there, electronic, post-rock, noise and above all there’s this ethereal feeling that is very close to my heart. And it all comes together in such a wonderful way, that you might have the tendency to forget you’ve been playing their records on repeat for countless hours. But then I think that is the intrinsic essence of music – to create a sort of universe where musical sufficiency is never reached thus letting the personal self develop within it like a beneficial parasite living in a host.

Recently the Dutch group released their newest EP entitled “La Petite Mort” (the names kind of makes me think of a movie I have recently saw called “Little Deaths”, I wonder if there’s a connection whatsoever with the movie per se) and knowing that these guys vary their style a lot from release to release I was of course extremely interesting in hearing their latest efforts. The EP is composed of four songs and the last one comes with a little surprise attached to it.

Well it looks like with this release the guys have advanced more deeply into the path of metallic sounds and heavy atmosphere. Of course their characteristic noise and atmospheric beats are still present especially on the track “Les Petites Morts”. The songs are steadily built and composed just to escalate at some point and infuse the listeners’ ear with a profound feeling of light headedness. Yes I have always thought, that if birds had ears equipped to listen they should hear Atlantis. Their music makes me crave I could fly, for some reason. I have to note that their type of post-rock has always been unique – the way the blend the guitars with the other instruments very corky and mysterious.

Well Atlantis has been an instrumental band so far, but this time they decided to bring something extra to the latest material. So on “Esther” listeners will have the pleasure to hear the voice of Post-Metal god Johannes Persson from Cult of Luna. And boy does it fit the song so very wonderful making it even more obscure and dark. I have to say my favorite track of the EP is “Breath Slowly” – the shortest of the release probably, but infused with so much hope and passion it escalates over the boundaries of consciousness. It’s slow, dreamy and the haunting and puts you into a dream like state.

For me the fact that Atlantis is pushing it into a more metal oriented dimension is a positive fact, even if the band will not choose the renounce their electro/synth insertions that make their sound so unique and diverse. Nevertheless I hope they keep experimenting in the wonderful way they have accustomed us so far.